River

"(1.) Heb. `aphik, properly the channel or ravine that holds" "water (2 Sam. 22:16), translated "brook," "river," "stream," but" not necessarily a perennial stream (Ezek. 6:3; 31:12; 32:6; 34:13). "(2.) Heb. nahal, in winter a "torrent," in summer a "wady" or valley (Gen. 32:23; Deut. 2:24; 3:16; Isa. 30:28; Lam. 2:18; Ezek. 47:9). "These winter torrents sometimes come down with great suddenness and with desolating force. A distinguished traveller thus "describes his experience in this matter:, "I was encamped in" "Wady Feiran, near the base of Jebel Serbal, when a tremendous" thunderstorm burst upon us. After little more than an hour's "rain, the water rose so rapidly in the previously dry wady that" "I had to run for my life, and with great difficulty succeeded in" "saving my tent and goods; my boots, which I had not time to pick" "up, were washed away. In less than two hours a dry desert wady" upwards of 300 yards broad was turned into a foaming torrent "from 8 to 10 feet deep, roaring and tearing down and bearing" "everything upon it, tangled masses of tamarisks, hundreds of" "beautiful palmtrees, scores of sheep and goats, camels and" "donkeys, and even men, women, and children, for a whole" encampment of Arabs was washed away a few miles above me. The storm commenced at five in the evening; at half-past nine the "waters were rapidly subsiding, and it was evident that the flood" "had spent its force." (Comp. Matt. 7:27; Luke 6:49.)" "(3.) Nahar, a "river" continuous and full, a perennial stream, "as the Jordan, the Euphrates (Gen. 2:10; 15:18; Deut. 1:7; Ps." 66:6; Ezek. 10:15). "(4.) Tel'alah, a conduit, or water-course (1 Kings 18:32; 2 Kings 18:17; 20:20; Job 38:25; Ezek. 31:4). "(5.) Peleg, properly "waters divided", i.e., streams divided, "throughout the land (Ps. 1:3); "the rivers [i.e., `divisions']" "of waters" (Job 20:17; 29:6; Prov. 5:16)." "(6.) Ye'or, i.e., "great river", probably from an Egyptian word "(Aur), commonly applied to the Nile (Gen. 41:1-3), but also to" other rivers (Job 28:10; Isa. 33:21). "(7.) Yubhal, "a river" (Jer. 17:8), a full flowing stream. "(8.) `Ubhal, "a river" (Dan. 8:2).

"(1.) Heb. nahar mitsraim, denotes in Gen. 15:18 the Nile, or its" "eastern branch (2 Chr. 9:26). (2.) In Num. 34:5 (R.V., "brook of" "Egypt") the Hebrew word is nahal, denoting a stream flowing" "rapidly in winter, or in the rainy season. This is a desert" stream on the borders of Egypt. It is now called the Wady el-`Arish. The present boundary between Egypt and Palestine is about midway between this wady and Gaza. (See Num. 34:5; Josh. "15:4, 47; 1 Kings 8:65; 2 Kings 24:7; Isa. 27:12; Ezek. 47:19." "In all these passages the R.V. has "brook" and the A.V." river.)

Probably the Arno (2 Sam. 24:5).

"(Ps. 65:9), as opposed to earthly streams, denoting that the" "divine resources are inexhaustible, or the sum of all" fertilizing streams that water the earth (Gen. 2:10).

"(Ps. 137:1), i.e., of the whole country of Babylonia, e.g., the" "Tigris, Euphrates, Chalonas, the Ulai, and the numerous canals."

The Abana and Pharpar (2 Kings 5:12).

"(Joel 3:18), the watercourses of Judea."

Related Bible Dictionary Terms:
River of Egypt    River of Gad    River of God